Student Led Internship Panel
In a recent panel discussion, we had the privilege of hearing firsthand accounts from our accomplished Public Policy students who completed policy internships in Summer 2023 with financial support from William & Mary Public Policy and the Schroeder Center for Health Policy. The panel discussion highlighted the impact of working as an intern – experiencing exponential personal growth, making connections, and building skills.
Peyton Bernstein, BA+MPP ‘25 who is currently enrolled in the Master’s in Public Policy accelerated program, was a 2023 Schroeder Center for Health Policy Internship Fellow. Over the summer, he was conducting research for the Department of Health, Behavior & Policy at VCU on addiction recovery services within Virginia Medicaid. For more about his internship experience, read here.
Two students interned in Washington, D.C. with Representative Rob Wittman 
and Senator Mark Warner, Grace Sokoll and Alison Trahan, respectively. Ava Roberts focused on criminal justice policy through interning with Stephanie Morales, the Commonwealth Attorney of Portsmouth. Katelyn Oxer worked directly with other countries while researching for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris.
The panelists provided a list of tips for acquiring an internship:
- You get what you ask for, reaching out directly to someone can get you further than you expect.
- Apply, apply, apply!
- Ask your professors, role models, and those who inspire you for help. W&M has a vast alumni network willing to help.
- Be confident in yourself and your ability.
And bottom line, if your plans to get one particular internship don’t workout as you hoped, there will be many other opportunities to advance your knowledge and skills!The rest of the evening was spent discussing the best networking practices and how to havemeaningful conversations with a working professional, among other topics. For students interested in applying for financial support for low-paid or
unpaid internships, W&M Public Policy and the Schroeder Center is currently accepting applications for 2024 Summer Internship Fellows. The application is open until April 15th.
